The first part of today’s sponsored chapters is Ch.27 Part 3.
After returned to Jinning Courtyard, Lian Qiao angrily scolded: “Eldest Master quarreled with his younger brother, but why he has to implicate our Miss? So is the Eldest Madam. She clearly knew that Miss was inside, but didn’t stop Eldest Master.”
Cheng Yujin lightly threw a glance. Lian Qiao didn’t dare to continue her rant. Cheng Yujin retracted her gaze and asked, “Have the food box been delivered?”
Du Ruo replied, “Yes, Miss. This servant personally did it.”
Cheng Yujin nodded. She sat on the chair and sipped her tea gently: “Then, let’s wait for the result.”
In the Fuli Courtyard, tranquilness was finally back after those people retreated. Old Master Cheng’s head was still painful after the noisy fight. Just now, Cheng Yuanxian came to shout about the Old Master’s partiality. After a while, the couple from the second branch also got the wind and ran over. Both parties were afraid that the other side would get more benefit and ended up staying in the room, making an unsightly commotion. The two daughters-in-law, one was boasting her contribution to the family, claiming the many years she has been in charge of the manor. The other was wailing accusingly, crying that she couldn’t even keep her own daughter.
In short, no one was fuel-efficient lamp1, and Old Master Cheng couldn’t stand their noisy quarrel. He was already in poor health. Seeing his sons and daughters-in-law fighting so unsightly, his vision turned black. In the end, the Old Master really lost his energy and fell asleep. Cheng Yuanxian and Cheng Yuanhan didn’t have any choice but to stop their quarrel and went back angrily.
A servant girl helped the Old Master to drink the medicine then stayed vigil the whole afternoon. It was only after the night fell when he finally woke up.
The Old Master stared at the empty room and asked: “Where is the Eldest and the Second?”
The attending servant girl replied in a low voice: “Eldest Master and Second Master saw that Marquis was asleep, so they went back.”
Old Master Cheng smiled wryly: so they went back, very good.
The Old Master moved his body, trying to get up from the bed. The servant girl hurriedly helped him to sit up. The Old Master panted. Even this small movement was too strenuous for him. His eyes fell on a three-tiered food box on the table and asked: “What is that?”
“Eldest Young Miss sent it. When Eldest Miss’s personal servant girl came to deliver the food box, she heard that Marquis was still asleep and didn’t dare disturb your rest, so she put down the food box and left. However, before leaving, the servant girl left a message, saying that this is the medicinal meal personally cooked by Eldest Miss. There is a small brazier on the bottom of the box, so the meal is always warm, and Marquis can eat it when you wake up.”
While speaking, the servant girl took up a blue and white porcelain bowl from the box’s top layer. Seeing it, the Old Master’s feeling became complicated. He was not dead yet, and his sons already tried to claim his inheritance. But his granddaughter, whom he has never paid attention to, was the only one who genuinely worried about his condition. Knowing that his digestion wasn’t good, she made a medicinal meal and kept it warm on a small brazier so he didn’t have to drink cold soup that would ruin his stomach.
Old Master Cheng sighed. Looking at the delicate blue and white porcelain bowl, he couldn’t help being a little surprised. His mind wandered, and he suddenly asked: “How old is the eldest girl?”
“Both Young Misses are the same age, fourteen this year.”
“Fourteen years old. She is going to have the hairpin ceremony in another year.” Old Master Cheng sighed. He lay back on the pillow. “At this age, she supposed to be preparing for marriage, but now doesn’t even have an engagement. The older she is, the harder it will be. Second girl has been engaged, and the second half of her life has been secured. Only the eldest girl is delayed after her previous engagement broke. Nowadays, high-ranking families are picky, and we also cannot let her marry low. She cannot choose high and cannot choose low. Her marriage is truly difficult.
After speaking, the Old Master sighed emotionally. Obviously a very promising girl, but just because her engagement was broken by a man, she was put in a precarious situation. Old Master Cheng remembered that the crown prince’s calligraphy sent to the Emperor was embroidered by eldest girl’s hand, and he became even more regrettable.
Old Master Cheng sighed deeply. He took another look at the delicate blue and white porcelain bowl, and his heart gradually inclined.
“Someone come. Open my secret compartment.”
When Cheng family members received the call, they rushed to Fuli Courtyard. When Cheng Yujin arrived, Old Madam Cheng, Qingfu Junzhu, and others were already there. Cheng Yujin greeted the elders, then sat down with the Old Madam: “Grandmother, why are you suddenly calling everyone here at night?”
Old Madam Cheng’s expression turned heavy: “Your grandfather wants to distribute the family property.”
Cheng Yujin’s eyebrows raised slightly. But at this time, an old servant came out and said, “Old Madam, Masters, Madams, the Marquis is calling you in.”
Fuel-efficient lamp: Somebody who is easy to deal with.